How else can you explain how Dick LeBeau's defense is 25th in the NFL against the pass?

How else can you explain how Drew Brees picked apart the Steelers secondary last week to the tune of 305 yards on 34 of 44 passes? How did Roddy White catch 13 passes against the secondary in Week 1? What about Joe Flacco's 256 yards and Colt McCoy's 281 and Chad Henne's 257?

What's wrong? Nothing.

Ike Taylor is playing the best football of his career, Bryant McFadden has been solid and safeties Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark consistently have been where they've needed to be.

Just because the defense is allowing 243 passing yards per game doesn't mean they aren't playing well.

The Steelers are allowing only 58.9 rushing yards per game, and opponents are scrapping that part of their game plan.

Teams, instead, are using quick passes to mimic what they might get out of a run game, hence the inflated pass numbers.

There's a reason why opponents are consistently attempting more than 30 passes per game — because they can't run.

The pass defense must be judged on the number of long plays allowed — and there have been very few.

LeBeau preaches to his defensive backs not to let anything get behind them at all costs. LeBeau likes his chances when a team is forced to dink and dunk their way down the field because he feels that eventually somebody will make a play.

The longest pass play against them this year was last week, when Robert Meachem caught a 50-yarder. Other than that, the big play has been non-existent.

That's a bigger of a deal than the fact that they are 25th in the NFL against the pass.

Let's hope the pass defense can keep the Bengals out of the end zone tonight. Just don't let T.O. or Ochocinco beat you deep. Personally I think we have a very good secondary with Taylor, McFadden, Troy, Clark and Gay.

I expect Troy to have a great game tonight! To me the key will be to shut down Cedric Benson and I think that can be done.